Food handling apparatus



m. 16, 1945. G. R WOOD 1 2,387,209

FOOD HANDLING AP P ARATUS FiledApfil 12, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. GEORGE R. WOOD A TTORNE'Y 0ct.16, 1945. G R, WOOD 2,387,209

FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS Filed April 12, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 11

INVENTOR;

GEORGE R. wooo AT TORNE'Y Oct. 16, 1945. I G. WOOD 2,387,209 FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS Filed April 12, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. F I E GEORGE-F R. WOOD ATORNEY Patented Oct. 16, 1945 George R. Wood, Montreal,

signorto Toledo Quebec, Canada. as-

Scale Company, Toledo, Ohio,

- i a corporation of New Jersey Application April 12, 1943, Serial No. 482,764 5 Claims. (Cl. 146-102) This invention relates to food handling apparatus of the type in which a commodityto be sliced is reciprocated past an exposed edge of a rotary circular knife, a slice of commodity being severed during each forward stroke,and more particularly to means for determining the thickness of slices so severed.

A slicing machine is usually equipped with a auge plate, which is erected on the machine with its face in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the cutting edge of the knife and closely adjacent to the edge of the knife, and is movable in a direction substantially transverse to the plane of its face to vary the thickness of slices of commodity severed by the knife. 2

It is an object of this invention to provide a gauge plate for a slicing machine which is mounted for easy adjustment with respect to the knife to determine the thickness of slices to, be severed.

It is another object of this invention to provide a gauge plate that is easily removable so that greases and fats which accumulate onits commodity engaging face readily can be cleaned therefrom.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a gauge plate for a slicingmachine which is mounted in a manner tending to prevent particles of commodity which may crumble or be rubbed off the face of the commodity as it is slid across the face of the gauge plate from falling into the interior of the machine.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a gauge plate mounting comprising very simple parts which can be so assembled as to afford very few externally protruding dirt and grease catching portions.

More specific objects and advantages are apparent from the description, in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred form of slicing machine embodying the invention.

In the drawings:

FigQI is a fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a slicing machine incorporating a gauge plate embodying the invention.

Fig. II is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the mechanism shown in Fig. I, taken substantially from the position indicated by the line II-II in Fig. I.

Fig. III is a fragmentary view, in elevation, taken from the rear of Fig. I and shown on a slightly smaller scale.

Fig. IV is a fragmentary plan view of slice-receiving and gauge plate mounting means.

These specific drawings and the specific description that follows merely disclose and illustrate the invention and are not intended to impose limitations upon the claims.

A slicing machine embodying the invention comprises a circular rotary knife I D which is drivingly connected to any electric motor I! mounted one. main base-l2. A commodity tobe sliced by the knife I is carried in a reciprocable commodity supporter l3 and is slid along a forward face M of gauge plate l5 until it passes the edge of the knife and a slice of commodity is severed therefrom. A slice of commodity so severed is deflected by a deflector plate l6 onto the up'per'surface of a slice-receiving platter I! which is mounted on the base 12 behind the gauge platel5. l p

The gauge plate 15 is adjustably attachedto a gauge plate mounting frame I8 by means of four screws [9 which pass through elongated holes in the gauge plate mounting frame l8, and are threaded into tapped collars 2| welded on the back face of the gauge plate l5 and located in the interior of thegauge plate mounting frame I8 when assembled; The holes 20 are elongated in order'that the relative position of the gauge plate and mounting frame l8- may be horizontally varied to move an edge 22 of the gauge plate which is adjacent the edge of the knife I0, radially of the knife to compensate for decreases in its diameter resulting from sharpening.

The gauge plate mounting frame l8 has, a'hollow interior through which there extends a web 23 in which is located a vertical bore 24 and two vertically-bored bosses 25. The center lines of the bore 24 and bosses 25 are parallel so that the gauge plate mounting frame l8 can be removably mounted on a pair of vertical posts 26 which extend upwardly from a'gauge plate bracket 21. The posts 26 are secured in the bracket 21 by means of pins 28 which pass therethrough.

The bracket 21 is in turn mounted on an upturned right edge 29 of the slice-receiving platter I! by means of bolts 30 which pass through the edge 29 and-are threaded into two horizontally extending feet 3| of .the bracket 21. The commodity contacting face [4 of the gauge plate I5 is thus located some distance in back of the edge 29 of the slice-receiving platter I! (as can best be seen in Fig. II). Thus if any small particles of commodity crumble or break away from the main piece of commodity as it is slid along the gauge plate, these small particles will fall-not into the interior of the machine but onto the upper surface of the slice-receiving platter I! p the shafts 34 near its innermost end and is engaged with one of a pair of pinions 3'Lcut in longitudinally extending adiustings'haft-M which .is rotatably journaled in a bored ear 39 extending downwardly from the undersurface of the base I! and in a boss 40 formed on the inner-side of the front wall of the base 12. The shaft 38 ex- 4 tends through the boss 49 exteriorly of the base l2 and has an adjusting knob 41 secured on its outermost end by means of a set screw '42. A series of thickness indicia 43 scribed on the conical periphery of theknob 4| cooperates with an index '44 to show the relative 'thi'cknessof slices ofcommodity to be severed,

A coiled spring 45, which surroundsthe shaft 38, is compressed between a pair of washers 43,-one of which lies adjacent the inner "face of the'bcss 40 and the other of which is held in position by a-cotterpin 41 passing through the shaft 38, .The spring 45 creates a slight amount of friction to prevent the accidental rotation of the shaft 38 due to pressure on the gauge plate 15 resulting from commodities being vforced there-against.

The series of indicia 43 is-so lo'cated "onth'e periphery of the knob 4 I, and the knob 4i sosmounted on the shaft 38; that when a zero indicium-Kll of the indicia 43 is in'line with'the index'flthe forward face 14 of the gauge plate 15 iiesisubstantiaily in the plane of thecutting edge of the knife HI. Rotation of the knob 4! through the medium of the pinions 31 and rack 35Lslides the shafts :34, slice-receiving platter l1 and gauge plate 15 to move the face of the gauge plate relative to. "the plane of the knife Iii-and thus to vary thetnicknessof slices to be-severed.

The embodiment of the invention'thatrhas been disclosed may be modified to meet various: requirements.

Having described my "invention, 1 claim:

1. In a slicing machine havingzarotary circular A set ofrack teeth 36 is cut in the upper side of each of V knife, in combination, a thickness gauge plate having a face substantially parallel to the plane of the cutting edge of said knife, a slice receiver lying behind and below said gauge plate, means for mounting said gauge plate on said slice receiver and mechanism for moving said slice receiver in a direction transverse to the plane of the cuttingredge of said knife. I 7

L2. Ina slicing machine having a rotary circular knife, in combination, a slice receiver, a bracket mounted on said slice receiver, a thickness gauge plate removably mounted on said bracket and :above'said slice receiver with its face substantially parallel to the plane of the cutting edge of said knife and mechanism for moving said slice receiver in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the cutting edge of said knife.

3.1n a slicing machine having a rotary circular knife, in combination, a thickness gauge plate having a face substantially parallel to the plane of the cutting edge of said knife, a slice receiver, means for mounting said gauge plate on'sai'd slice receiver, said slicereceiver extending beneathand onbcth sides of said gauge plate, and mechanism for moving said slicereceiver in a direction transverse to the plane of the cutting edge of said knife. 4. In a slicing machine having a rotary circular knife, in combination, a slice receiver, a pair of substantially parallel posts extending vertically upward from said slice receiver, said posts being located near one edge of said slice receiver, a thickness gauge plate removably :mountedoiisaid posts with its face substantially parallel to the plane of the cutting edge of'said knife and mechanism for moving said slicereceiver in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the cutting edge ofsaid knife.

5. In a slicing machine having a base and'a'rotary circular knife located above said base, 'in combination, a thickness gauge plate having a facesubstantiallyparallel to the plane of'the cutting edgeof said knife, a slice receiver, means for mounting said gauge plate on'said slice receiver, saidslice receiver extending beneath and on :both sides of said gauge plate, and mechanism mounted in-said base and extending beneath said slice receiver for moving said slice receiver ina direction transverse to the plane of the cutting edgeaof said knife.

GEORGER. WOOD. 

